Make Your Choice
by Galadriadhar
Summary: When we choose, we need to be aware of every consequence. Some choices are the right ones, but bring undesirable results. Other choices are not the best, and yet, the apparent results are ones we want. My friends, keep this in mind as I relate the story of a choice, one that shook the dunes of time and rippled the rivers of space.


There's a special place in my heart for the City Chronicles. For a very long time, it was only comprised of 'Piano Mon.' In December of 2014, 'Rhythm of the Night' broke the floodgates. In short order, 'Shining Armor,' 'The Mayor's Christmas Carol,' 'I Am No Hero,' 'Lost on the Moon,' 'Sunglasses at Night,' 'Dreams of an Absolution,' 'Breaking Out,' 'Kiss the Rain,' 'Stand In The Rain,' and 'Foundations' came into being. Where the City had been alone for two or three years, suddenly, within three months, the City had ten more one-shot stories and one collection of tidbit stories to pack in cracks.

In February of 2015, the time came. I decided that the City Chronicles needed a multi-chapter story. For a while, I agonized over the most important pieces: the name and species of the main character. My characters (of which there are over seventy named!) need to work together with their names. There are times that I actually have had the name come to me, as in the case of Lilia. There are other times, such as in the case of this story's main character, that I had to go through a baby name book and gather ideas. Finally, the pieces clicked.

Once that was finalized, I needed a story. Looking through my list of story titles, I realized that I needed to use 'Make Your Choice.' This song is by The Megas, and I highly recommend checking it out on YouTube or some other music listening service.

And yet… while writing this, I found myself dissatisfied. Something was wrong. The atmosphere was all wrong. I couldn't put my finger on the problem right away, but I came to realize what the issue was: the City Chronicles was not really built for a multi-chapter story. Every story has been a one-shot, whether extremely long or rather short. I changed my approach, aiming for a one-shot instead. It worked a lot better.

I hope you enjoy 'Make Your Choice.'

MAKE YOUR CHOICE

Allow me to introduce myself. I am Melvin, and I am the Historian of the City. Each story you have read that regards the City was written by me. There are a few exceptions, but those are special cases.

There comes a time in every Pokemon's life when they must make a choice. These choices can be small in nature, but they can also shake the bounds of imagination and life in general. What is chosen can be important. But sometimes, why the choice is made means far more than what the choice was.

When we choose, we need to be aware of every consequence. Some choices are the right ones, but bring undesirable results. Other choices are not the best, and yet, the apparent results are ones we want.

My friends, keep this in mind as I relate the story of a choice, one that shook the dunes of time and rippled the rivers of space.

* * *

Bill pulled out a piece of paper from his messenger bag. He didn't usually bring his bag to the _Café Na Rigara_, but sometimes it was necessary. The paper he held necessitated the bag.

As he put it on the piano's music stand, the bag fell to the floor. Bill disregarded the bag, as it had served its purpose. He adjusted the paper and, as the door to the _Café_ opened, he readjusted it.

The door closed and Bill's paper fluttered off of the piano's music stand. He rolled his eyes and retrieved the paper from the floor. "Davy! When were you planning on fixing the draft flow?" Bill called.

No one answered. "Ah, that's right," Bill said to himself, chuckling. "I'm all alone."

"Not necessarily," a soft voice corrected. Bill looked around. Seeing no one, he shrugged and put the paper on the music stand. "Come on, Bill. You know where I am."

Bill got up from the piano bench and turned. A Pokemon stood behind the piano bench, small arms folded. Eyes gleaming, the Pokemon had a pair of jaws made of horns emerging from the back of its head. But that was, believe it or not, normal.

"Ben!" Bill exclaimed. "I really didn't know where you were. Thank you for not letting your jaws bite me again."

Ben smiled. The jaws on his head seemed to grin, but Bill had seen that enough to not be creeped out by it anymore. "I've learned to control them better, Bill. I didn't want them to bite you. I remember how bad the injury was."

Ambling to the bar, Ben ducked under the bar door and began rummaging through the stores. Bill left the piano and the paper and made his way to a bar stool. "How goes the job hunt, Ben? Was my talk with Michael beneficial?"

Ben took a chair and, climbing onto it, grabbed a knife and a pecha berry and sliced it up. "It was. Michael hired me right away. I start tomorrow." He popped a slice of the pecha berry into his mouth and chewed. "Thanks, by the way."

Bill vaulted over the bar. "No problem, Ben. Michael owed me a favor, anyway." The Lucario began opening every door behind the bar. "Where did Davy put those hondew berries?" Bill muttered, shoving things around.

"Try the third drawer from the bottom," Ben suggested. "I saw some while I was looking for the pecha berries."

"Ah ha! Thanks, Ben! Now, where's the honey…" As Bill returned to his searching, Ben rolled his eyes and ducked back under the bar door, carrying his slices of pecha berry.

"You're quite the character, Bill," Ben remarked as Bill, upon finding the honey, began laughing.

"Who's a character?" a voice asked from behind Ben. Ben's horns lunged at the voice, but the speaker dodged.

Ben found himself on the floor on his back. The slices of pecha berry had tumbled across the floor, and his horns were trying to reach a juicy slice. Davy leaned over Ben and offered him a hand. Gratefully, Ben took it. Davy grunted softly as he lifted Ben to his feet.

"Sorry about that, Ben. Forgot that your horns are impulsive," Davy said, chuckling.

Ben dusted himself off. "It's no problem, Davy. The question is, I think, are you okay?"

Davy waved off Ben's concern. "I've been bitten at by larger jaws than your horns, Ben. It's nothing to worry about." Looking at the bar, Davy's eyes narrowed as he frowned. "Bill, I know you're back there. I see one of your ears."

The offending ear twitched before rising up. Bill grinned innocently. "Hello, Davy!" he said brightly. "You know, I just had the sudden urge to clean the bar area! And wouldn't you know, I found a stray stash of hondew berries. I was putting them where they belonged when you came in. Did you know that the best place to put hondew berries is on the shelf closest to the floor? Keeps them fresh." Bill's grin faltered ever so slightly under Davy's withering stare.

Ben shook his head, a small smile on his face as he gathered up his pecha slices.

Davy wasn't breaking. Bill's grin disappeared. "Where did you hide the honey, Davy?" Bill asked timidly.

The Feraligatr pointed to the door that led to the back. Bill brightened up and slipped through the door. Davy rolled his eyes. Ben glanced at Davy.

"You think it's amusing." Davy looked at Ben.

"What makes you think that, Ben?"

Ben shrugged, handing his horns a piece of pecha berry. "There was a very small smile on your face as Bill went through the door."

Davy's face quivered and broke into a full smile. "All right, it's true. Just don't let Bill know that. I've come to see it as a game."

"He's coming out," Ben murmured. Davy pulled his face back into a frown. Bill, who had just come out of the back, was holding a bottle of honey. He took a bowl, squirted some honey in it, sliced up a hondew berry, and put the slices into the honey.

"Thanks, Davy!" Bill said happily. He took a piece of hondew berry and popped it into his mouth. "Do you want a slice?"

Both Davy and Ben grimaced in disgust. "Ah, no thanks. I had a big… breakfast," Davy improvised. Ben stifled a laugh.

Bill stuck his tongue out at Davy. "You don't know what you're missing, Davy. Never mind, though. More for me!" He put the bowl on the table and vaulted back over, landing squarely on a stool.

Ben sat on the stool next to Bill as Davy lifted the bar flap and made his way behind the bar. He began gathering berries, putting them in a pile next to a cutting board.

"Have you heard the news?" Davy asked, picking up a knife and chopping a mago berry.

"You know me, Davy," Bill replied. "I need more context. Vague things like 'Have you heard the news' doesn't help at all."

Davy pointed at Bill with the knife. Bill leaned back, almost falling off of the stool. He caught himself just in time. "Cut your sass, Bill."

"You have the knife," Bill countered. "Anyway, what do you mean?"

Taking a petaya berry, Davy started dicing it. "Old Finn is worried about the river that goes past the University. He says it's getting drier."

Bill's foreheard wrinkled. "The Romia River? How can it get drier? In the past months, it's been nothing but riverbed."

Shrugging, Davy sliced a watmel berry. "I'm only passing on what Finn said. You know that's he's concerned about it."

Ben swallowed the last of his pecha berry. "If Finn's worried, why doesn't he go to Mayor Winston?"

Davy snorted. "Mayor Winston couldn't do a thing about it. The only one who could possibly do something would be Amairani Romianda, but Aaron insists that the Romianda are not to be approached. If you ask me, his crush clouds his senses."

"Why would the Romianda be able to do anything?" Bill asked, swirling a finger in his leftover honey. "They don't care about the plights of the City."

"Where do you think the Romianda got their name?" Davy returned. "They've lived alongside the river for a very long time, Bill. Anyway, we can't ask them. Aaron talked to Amairani last time she was in the City, and Amairani said they wouldn't be back for at least two years."

A gloomy silence fell over the three. Bill sucked the honey off of his finger. Davy finished slicing the watmel berry and began pulping a few cheri berries. Ben looked out the window of the _Café_.

Outside, the sun beat down on the streets of the City. There had been no clouds for at least a week. The concrete sidewalks were almost hotter than Harry's kitchen.

"The yearly drought is lasting longer than usual," Davy finally said, breaking the silence. "I fear what might happen if it doesn't break."

Ben looked over his shoulder at Davy. His shoulders were sagging and there was a bead of sweat running down his back. "Do you really think it won't break?"

Davy shook his head. "I just don't know, Ben. We could weather the drought if the river were running, but something's wrong."

The three fell silent again, each occupied with their own thoughts. A small crowd of Pokemon took shelter in the _Café_, and Davy served cold oran smoothies, but still the three were silent.

As the crowd left, temperatures down for at least the moment, Bill sighed. Ben nodded in silent agreement. Finally, Bill broke the silence.

"Well, we may as well not worry about it," he said. "So, did you go to the _Radiant Star_ last night? Violet and Lucas put on a dance exhibition."

Davy glanced over his shoulder as he shredded oran berries. "That was last night? Great. I missed it… How was it?"

Bill chuckled, leaning back slightly. "Well, if it had been me and Lilia, it would have been a lot better." Ben poked Bill in the side. "Ack! Okay, it was excellent. Ben, you didn't need to poke me! Alex accidentally hit me with a tray last night, and I ended up jamming my side into a chair. It's still a bit sore."

"Sorry about that…" Ben murmured. There was a snort, and he looked up to see Bill trying to keep from laughing. Ben narrowed his eyes. "Were you lying to me?"

Bill couldn't stop himself. Peals of laughter split the air. "I'm sorry, Ben! I couldn't resist doing that. Sorry! Ack!" Ben poked Bill in the side again, he himself laughing as well. Davy rolled his eyes, but the other two couldn't see a smirk on his face.

The three stayed in the _Café _until dusk. Then, with hurried goodbyes, Bill and Davy went off toward their own homes.

* * *

Ben stood outside of the _Café Na Rigara_, breathing in the warmed, dusty air. A large smiled spread across his face, and his horns seemed to smile as well. This time of day was, for some reason, Ben's favorite part of the day.

Oranges and red splayed across the sky as Ben walked slowly down Main Street. The light threw sharp contrasts on the City, creating a realm where the top halves of buildings were lighted and the bottom halves were shadowed and dark. There was something about dusk that made Ben happy.

As the shadows deepened, the few streetlights on Main Street flicked on. The light didn't do too much to repel the shadows, but it was enough. The light from the sun began to dim, and a familiar song floated through Ben's mind. It was one he had never heard before, but one that he knew all the same.

_As light fades to gray,  
And day turns to night,  
The sweet colors glisten  
On the warm, flowing wind._

_The wind moves between  
The ev'ning and the mind.  
Anger dissolves in  
The cool, shining moon._

_O, the moon of fathers past,  
Shines bright on the e'er-changing fields.  
Alda mino verku alda,  
Bring my loved one home, dear moon._

Whenever it came to him, Ben imagined a kind, motherly figure crooning to a baby in a cradle. These were thoughts he cherished, and he imagined his mother to be the one singing.

The last of the light disappeared, plunging the City into a dark night. The streetlights were more powerful now, but the shadows were still not completely banished. Where other Pokemon would hate the night, avoiding it at all costs, Ben loved the night. It was mysterious, full of promise and secrets.

Ben had often wondered what secrets the night held. He thought that, perhaps, there were secrets about him.

Turning off of Main Street, Ben came to a small house tucked into the outskirts of the forest. His home was modest, built of salvaged bricks and lumber. He pushed on the door and it opened, creaking in welcome.

It was dark inside, but that was nothing new. Enough moonlight streamed through the single window to allow Ben to close the door, wash his hands and face in a bucket of water, take a small drink, and stretch out on his worn bed. The moonlight fell across his face, and Ben imagined it as a gentle caress from a mother's loving hand. He fell asleep with the moonlight stroking him to sleep.

* * *

Ben woke to the sun spreading its warmth across his face. He yawned, stretched, and sat up, rubbing his eyes. He hopped off of his bed, splashed some of the cold water in his face and washed his hands. Over the bucket was a small cupboard, and this Ben opened. He frowned. Inside was half a loaf of bread and a petaya berry.

"I wonder if Michael will give me an advance on payment," Ben muttered as he took the bread and berry down. He munched on the bread while examining his house. Making mental notes of urgently needed repairs, he washed down the berry with a drink of water. He washed his hands again and opened the door of his house. It creaked a goodbye.

Ben was able to quickly cover the distance from his house to Branch, up Fallview, through First, and down Fourth. At Fourth, he turned onto Turnback. _Sylveon Grocers_ was the first building Ben came to.

He pushed the door to the grocery store open. It swung open on smooth hinges. For some reason, Ben felt a bit sad at that.

Michael was bagging berries at the front counter. A Floatzel was counting out some coins. "Have a great day!" Michael called as the Floatzel took its bags and brushed past Ben.

"Excuse me," the Floatzel murmured. Ben lifted a hand in acknowledgement and made his way to Michael.

"Good to see you this early!" Michael said. His eyes were bright, and his voice was cheerful, despite the earliness of the hour. "Hope you had a good night's sleep, because we have four shipments that need to be unloaded." Michael gestured for Ben to follow him.

"Do you like your door to not creak?" Ben asked. Michael looked over his shoulder just long enough to wrinkle his forehead.

"I have no real preference, to be honest. Why?"

Ben shrugged, though Michael couldn't see him. "I like creaky doors. It feels like the door is talking to you whenever you use them." Michael gave a quick hello to a Krabby as he passed, and Ben did the same.

"That's an interesting way to look at it, Ben." Michael was quiet after that. He nodded once or twice, occasionally tilting his head to the side. Despite all this, he never crashed into anything, even dodging the mess of boxes in front of the unloading area.

Four large crates stood in the unloading area, two bigger than the others. Each was labeled with abbreviations indicating the produce contained in the crate. The two largest crates were also labeled with a signature.

Michael looked at both of the crates critically. "Everything seems to be in order," he mused, walking around the crates. "No cracks, no spills, no broken produce. All right, these are fine." Michael turned to Ben, who had followed him around the crates. "Each of these passes inspection, Ben. You'll learn how to conduct the inspection later, but for now I'll do it. Will you sign the paper on each crate?"

Ben nodded. A small piece of charcoal sat by one of the crates. He took the charcoal and scribbled a signature on the crate papers, tearing the papers off afterward.

"Where do I put the papers?" Ben asked. Michael smiled faintly.

"I didn't even need to tell you… Over in the cabinet, if you please. Each paper needs to go on the shelf belonging to the shipper. Two of these came from Dyan Fletchback, and the other two came from Romia Farms. I'll let you figure out which are which." As Ben went to the cabinet, Michael chuckled. "I like the idea, Ben. I may need to allow my doors to creak. It would be fun to be greeted by my doors…"

"What do I do next?" Ben had put the papers in the cabinet. Michael shook himself.

"Sorry about that. Thoughts went on a tangent. All right!" Michael pointed to a board on the crate. "See that board? That's what we call the insurance board. Pull it off and you can work with the individual boxes of the shipment."

Ben tugged on an insurance board, but couldn't get it off. He turned around and, as Michael was about to say something, Ben's horns bit down on the insurance board and ripped it off. Michael's mouth stayed open.

"Then I just take each box and stack the produce in the right section of the store, right?"

Michael forcibly closed his mouth. "That's right. Boy, if I had jaws like that, I'd be a speed eater. If you need me, I'll be in the front. Get as much as you can done by twelve, and then it's lunch. I'll find you then, if you haven't come and found me by that time." Walking off, Michael shook his head. "That was incredible," he said to himself, laughing slightly.

Ben turned his attention to the crates. Biting off the insurance boards was the work of two moments. He then pulled the boxes out one by one, sorting them according to the type of produce. After an hour, he had managed to sort all of the boxes into groups.

"Let's see… Mago, salac, qualot, mango, nanab, petaya, and oran," Ben murmured, pointing to each group in turn. "The salac berries, if I remember correctly, are closest to the back. Those will be first." He picked up a box of salac berries and took another in his horns before setting off.

He made it to the rare berry section of the store with little difficulty. After quickly stacking the berries in an empty crate labeled 'salac,' Ben hurried back to the unloading area. He put the two empty boxes in a pile and grabbed two more boxes, these ones for qualot berries.

The work went speedily. Ben continued piling the empty boxes on the side of the unloading area, and soon he was down to the last two boxes. These were needed at the very front of the store. Taking one of the boxes in his arms and gingerly taking the other with his horns, Ben walked to the front of the store.

As he began unloading the boxes of oran berries, the door to the grocery store swung open. Ben was too preoccupied to look up, but someone passed by and murmured 'Excuse me.' He smiled absently, thinking that the voice was lovely. A waft of a flowery scent drifted by, and he stopped to sniff. His smile widened and he continued stacking the oran berries.

A few minutes later, the same Pokemon passed him again, murmuring another 'Excuse me.' Ben put down one box and took the last box from his horns.

"Were you able to find everything today, miss?" Michael asked. He began bagging the produce.

"I was. Thank you, sir," the lovely voice said.

Ben began to hum to himself, stacking the oran berries carefully. He looked over to the front counter and started violently. The oran berries almost fell, but he became aware of the danger at the last moment and straightened them. He ducked down and peered over the racks of berries.

At the front counter, Michael was bagging the last of the berries. Facing Michael was the most gorgeous Pokemon Ben had ever seen. She was sleek and well-groomed, with a pair of horns that were a deeper black than the night Ben loved so much. The horns twitched slightly and the Pokemon turned.

Ben nearly fainted. She was even more beautiful from the front. Her teeth were whiter than snow and her eyes were like glowing crystals. She was… like him. Ben had never imagined that there was another Pokemon like him.

"Will that be all, miss?" Michael questioned. She turned back to face Michael.

"Yes, that's all. Thank you." She reached back and took two coins from her horns. "I hope this is enough."

Michael took the two coins and nodded. "It is. It's more than enough, in fact. Allow me to fix that…" He rummaged through the coin drawer and came out with a single coin. "Here you go."

She took the coin and stowed it in her horns. Then, picking up her bags, she walked toward the door. "Thank you, sir." She pushed the door open and paused.

"Is something wrong, miss?" Michael asked. She looked at the door and smiled.

"Have you considered allowing your door to speak to you?" She let the door close behind her. Ben sighed.

Michael glanced over to where Ben was hiding behind the racks. "She's gone, Ben."

"I know," Ben said softly. Michael chuckled.

"You have it bad, my friend. Come on. We need some lunch, and today it's on me."

* * *

"What can I get for you two gentlemon?" Alex asked, bowing dramatically. Michael looked at Alex quizzically.

"Trying out for the old folks' club, Alex?"

Alex laughed. "Hardly, Mike. Jasmine suggested I try being more 'civilized.' Apparently," Alex said, mouth twisting, "I've been a bit rowdy."

Michael nodded his head agreeably. "If you see Jasmine soon, tell her I think it's good."

"I thought you'd be on _my _side, Mike!" Alex exclaimed. He frowned. "At least Ben's on my side. Right?" Ben didn't answer. "Well, at least he's not against me. Anyway, what can I get for you two?"

Michael turned the menu over. He examined the back. "What's the special from Harry today?"

"Today, we actually have Karen at the helm. She's working on something she calls 'spicy tamato and petaya vichyssoise.' I believe it's a cold soup."

Forehead wrinkling, Michael put down his menu. "I will try that. It sounds… interesting."

"No one else has tried it yet, so you'll make Karen's day. Ben?"

"What?" Ben asked, looking up. Alex grinned.

"I was going to ask what you want to eat, but I know that look. You fell in love, didn't you?"

Ben looked around. "Is she here?" He craned his neck to see every corner of the _Radiant Star_. His eager face fell. "Oh…"

Alex chuckled. "Ah, yes. I remember it well on myself. What would you like, Ben? After that, I can talk. My lunch break is in a minute."

"I'll just have the vichyssoise," Ben murmured. He sank lower into his seat. "And a broken heart salad."

"We don't have any of those, Ben," Alex said, patting Ben on the back. "But I can get you the vichyssoise. I'll be right back." Alex leapt over a swinging tail and headed to the kitchen.

Michael picked up his glass of water and drank half of it. Ben, on the other hand, poked at the glass. It wobbled slightly, but didn't fall over.

After a minute, Alex came back carrying two bowls. He kept them perfectly level and, leaping over the same swinging tail, was able to deposit the bowls on the table without spilling a drop. "Voilà!" Alex exclaimed. "Not a drop out of place! Dig in, Mike. Ben, you can as well." Grabbing a nearby chair, Alex pulled it to him while sitting down. He managed to sit directly in the chair.

"I must say, Alex," Michael commented, respect in his voice, "that I'm very impressed. I thought you were going to miss the chair."

"Ha! I never miss!" Alex proclaimed. "Though, there was one time that I missed. That didn't end up so well…" Alex trailed off, but brightened up again. "It was in the past, though! I'm over it!"

Ben picked up a spoon and took a mouthful of the vichyssoise. His eyes widened. "That's delicious!" he said enthusiastically. The bowl was drained in short order.

"Now that you've devoured that soup, will you tell me?" Alex asked, leaning on the table.

"Tell you what?"

Alex rolled his eyes. "About the girl! It's obvious there's a girl, Ben."

"Oh…." Ben sighed, a blissful smile spreading across his face. "She's perfect, Alex. She's well-groomed, has the whitest teeth I've seen, and she looks like me!" Ben pointed to himself. "Like me! I always thought I was a one-of-a-kind Pokemon! That was lonely… But there's another of me!" His eyes shone as he spoke.

Alex shot Michael a glance. Michael nodded. "I may actually know who you're talking about," Alex said. "But… I'm not sure you want to associate with her."

Ben started. His eyes narrowed. "What do you mean?" he growled. "She's an angel."

Alex held his hands up in defense. "Whoa, hold on there! No need to go venomous. Listen, I've seen her and, more importantly, served her. She's come to the _Radiant Star_ before. Name's Selima. She's a real snake, though."

As Ben's teeth began to grind, Michael quickly asked, "What do you mean?"

"She came to eat here, like I said before. I sat her, and right away she began barking at me. 'Bring me water, bring me sugar! I want this, and I want it free!' She didn't quit, either. I finally asked her to leave, and when she wouldn't, I got Rutger to forcibly remove her from the premises." Alex shook his head in dismay. "I thought she looked nice, but I was wrong." He looked at Ben, who was unclenching his fists. "Don't get involved, Ben. She may look nice, but she's a spoiled brat."

Ben sighed. "I trust you, but… I don't think she's a brat, Alex! I saw her in the grocery store. She never yelled or snapped. I think she's a good Pokemon." Ben paused for a moment. "And what if the Pokemon you met isn't the same as the one that was in the grocery store?"

Alex grimaced as he stood. "Oooh, haven't eaten recently. It's possible, I suppose." The Ampharos flexed his arms. "I can't say either way. But you can choose. If meeting her goes sour, though, don't get torn up." Arching his back, Alex was rewarding with a pop. "Ahh… Well, I need to be off and about. Good luck, my friends!" He headed up to the front of the _Radiant Star_ to seat a Buizel.

Michael drained his bowl. Ben frowned at his vichyssoise. "Do you think Alex is right, Michael?"

"I don't really know, Ben," Michael said, shrugging. "It's possible. I interacted with her at the store, but I don't know." He tilted his head back and forth, eliciting popping noises. "Are you ready?"

"Not really," Ben admitted. "What I really want is to find out if Alex is right. I can do that after we close up, though."

Michael looked at Ben for a while before nodding. "All right. Come on. Once you finish up that last box of oran berries, I want to try something. I need to get rid of all the extra boxes in my store."

* * *

"See you tomorrow, Ben." Michael finished locking up the store and examined the store door. "I wonder how I can speed up the creaking process…"

Ben waved to Michael and began walking off. Dusk was just beginning, and the colors painted the sky like one of Riley's paintings. As the streetlights popped on, the song floated through Ben's mind again. This time, though, it was sung by the girl, and there was an extra line.

_As light fades to gray,  
And day turns to night,  
The sweet colors glisten  
On the warm, flowing wind._

_The wind moves between  
The ev'ning and the mind.  
Anger dissolves in  
The cool, shining moon._

_O, the moon of fathers past,  
Shines bright on the e'er-changing fields.  
Alda mino verku alda,  
Bring my loved one home, dear moon,  
My loved one, to ever be mine._

As the song faded away, Ben shook his head. Instead of comforting him, as the song usually did, it had coiled him up.

"What if Alex is right?" Ben whispered to himself. He had reached First and Fallview and sat down on the curb. "What if it is Selima, and she's not what I thought she was?"

"Who is Selima?" a voice asked. Ben looked around and saw, to his right, an orange and tan Pokemon.

"She's… like me," Ben said. "I'm sorry, that was bad. I saw her today, and I already love her. But Alex says she's a brat. I don't think she is. But really, I don't know if I'll ever find out. I can't find her." He sniffed.

The Pokemon sat down on the curb next to Ben. "Well, that means you have two choices, my friend." Ben glanced at the Pokemon. "You can either pursue her and find the truth, or you can forget all about it." The Pokemon smiled. "I know what I would choose."

"What would you choose?" Ben asked.

The Pokemon leaned back on its hands. "I would find the truth." It chuckled. "I know that, at least for myself, I would be very torn up if I tried to forget. It would consume me. I would constantly be telling myself off: 'Victor, why didn't you pursue the girl?'" The Pokemon looked over at Ben. "Victor, at your service. I often neglect to introduce myself. But that's what I would do."

Ben looked at the ground. A light breeze picked up, blowing dirt down the street. "What if you found the worst truth?"

Victor shrugged one-sidedly. "At least I would know the truth. I would rather know the worst truth than never know if the truth was good."

The two sat for a bit as Ben digested what Victor had said. Ben shook his head in despair. "I can't," he murmured. "I just can't."

"As with everything, it's your choice," Victor said. "But I know that I would go for her."

"And if she's not what I hoped for?"

"A friend of mine once told me that we need the rain to appreciate the sunshine," Victor replied. "If she's not who you hoped for, look for someone who will fulfill your hopes, and appreciate her all the more because you know the bad. That's all you can really do, you know."

"And…" Ben trailed off. He shook himself and continued. "What if she is what I hoped for?"

Victor chuckled. "Then you go forward with her. But," Victor said, leaning forward again, "I think you knew that."

Ben nodded slowly. "I did. I just… needed to hear it, I suppose."

Victor pushed himself to his feet. "We all need that occasionally, my friend." He looked around. "And speaking of your hopes, I think she's coming down the street."

There was a frantic scramble as Ben got to his feet. "I'm… I'm not ready!" he said, trying to turn and walk away. Victor was standing in the way, though, stopping him.

"Face her, my friend. You need the truth."

Ben stopped and breathed deeply, composing himself. "You're right, of course." He turned and, sure enough, the Pokemon he had seen in the grocery store was walking toward him. "Victor? Can I do it?"

"You can," Victor's voice affirmed. "Don't give up now. I'm right here, though you may not see me."

She came close enough that Ben's breath caught. With difficulty, he waved at her. She stopped in front of him. "Hello," she said.

Ben fainted.

* * *

"Mother, he is waking."

"Good. I want to see his face. If it is true…"

"Mother, do not get your hopes up. Benhalmin was lost long ago. Celdrima will not want you waking her for nothing."

"Selima, hush!"

Ben slowly opened his eyes, aware of a pounding headache above his neck. Two blurs were above him, and he blinked again. The blurs came into focus. One was the girl that had said 'hello.' The other was an older Nidorina, with wrinkles and faded skin.

"Where… am I?" Ben rasped. He suddenly was aware that his mouth was drier than a rock.

"You are in the Romianda camp," the Nidorina replied. She left his vision for a moment, returning with a wet rag. "Suck on this. It will help you."

Ben opened his mouth slightly and the Nidorina gently put the rag in. Ben began sucking on the rag and water came out, soothing his mouth.

"Is he…. Is he Benhalmin?" the girl asked.

The Nidorina tilted her head slightly. "I do not know, Selima. It is possible."

"Mother… if he is, does that mean that Celdrima will be happy again?" the girl questioned.

"I do not know that either. Celdrima has lost much. The return of her son may not be enough."

The Nidorina took the rag away. Ben groaned as the pain in his head throbbed. "Mother, he hit his head on the sidewalk."

"Why did you not tell me before?" the Nidorina moved around, gathering various items. "Get me fresh stranglevine, Selima." The girl nodded and left Ben's vision.

As the Nidorina mixed powders and liquids, Ben swallowed. "Her name… is… Selima?" he rasped.

"Yes," the Nidorina replied. "You gathered as much from our conversation. What is your name? In the camp of the Romianda, the visitor tells his or her name before we tell our names."

"Ben," Ben whispered. The pain was growing and threatening to overwhelm him. He was growing delirious. "I do not know my mother," he breathed.

The Nidorina suddenly stopped mixing. "Ben?" When Ben nodded fractionally, she began laughing as tears streamed down her face. "I am Kaliya. I know your mother, Ben." As Ben struggled to remain conscious and ask the stream of questions that had emerged, Kaliya began to sing quietly.

_As light fades to gray,  
And day turns to night,  
The sweet colors glisten  
On the warm, flowing wind._

_The wind moves between  
The ev'ning and the mind.  
Anger dissolves in  
The cool, shining moon._

_O, the moon of fathers past,  
Shines bright on the e'er-changing fields.  
Alda mino verku alda,  
Bring my loved one home, dear moon._

Ben felt the pain lessen slightly, and he fell asleep.

* * *

The first thing that Ben was aware of was the sun shining on his face. The second thing he was aware of was a shriek that reawakened the pain above his neck.

"Benhalmin!" Ben was grabbed by a small body. He yelped as the pain stabbed through his head. "My son… Benhalmin has come back to us!" the voice yelled.

"I... My name… is Benhalmin?" Ben asked faintly. His head still throbbed, but it was settling down. He hoped that no one else would jostle him. His eyes opened very slowly. A small blur was in his vision. Blinking cleared his vision ever so slightly, and he saw that the blur was a Pokemon like him. It was a female, and that was all he could tell.

The female was smiling through tears. "It is, my son. You have come back to join the Romianda."

Ben's forehead wrinkled. He pushed himself to a sitting position, but pain shot through his head again. His arms quivered with the effort. "The Romianda? I'm not one of the Romianda… Am I?"

The female tilted her head to the side. "You don't… know? You don't know your own heritage?" Her face fell.

Kaliya pushed through a heavy curtain. "Celdrima… He was lost as a child. It's always possible that he doesn't remember anything."

The female, Celdrima, looked up at Kaliya. "But he is a Mawile, Kaliya. How could he not remember?"

The Nidorina shrugged. "You are a Mawile, Celdrima, and occasionally you forget things. Since he was a child then, I would guess that he did not develop the needed memories."

Celdrima sniffed. "My son… He doesn't remember…" She stood and rushed through the heavy curtain. Kaliya watched her go.

Ben shook his head, but a jab of pain stopped him short. Slowly, he rose to his feet. He had to grab a nearby fold of fabric to stop himself from falling over. Kaliya glanced over at him.

"What will you do now, Ben?" Kaliya asked. "It's your choice. If you wish to go back to the City, I will help you."

"Are those the only choices?" Ben whispered. "Can't I take my mother back with me?"

Kaliya chuckled. "Celdrima would never go to the City. She is a Romianda by blood. As are you," Kaliya added, almost as an afterthought.

Ben groaned quietly. "Will you help me back, please?" Kaliya nodded.

"I will let her know that you left."

* * *

Bill was pouring himself a glass of milk when there was a knock on his door. He picked up his glass and walked over to open the door. Ben fell face-first into Bill's house.

Eyes wide, Bill put the glass on a small table and dragged Ben all the way into the house. He closed the door and set Ben on the couch.

"Ben? Hey, are you okay?" When Ben didn't answer, Bill frowned. He grabbed another glass, filled it with water, and dumped it over Ben's head.

"Oooh, don't do that," Ben moaned.

"You're alive!" Bill exclaimed. "What happened?"

Ben opened his eyes slowly. Then, with many pauses, he explained what had happened.

* * *

"Well, that is quite the story," Bill said, leaning back into a chair. He chuckled. "You're a Romianda, then. I must admit, out of all of the scenarios I thought of to explain your past, this really takes the cake."

Ben's head was feeling better, but it was still rather tender. "Bill, I came for your advice."

Bill leaned forward, spreading his paws out. "What do you need?"

"What should I do? I don't know whether to leave the City behind, stay here, or try to convince my mother to come back with me." Ben sighed. "At lunch, I was only concerned with trying to meet Selima. Now I have to face my past."

Nodding, Bill leaned back in his chair again. "Well, that is quite a conundrum. Hmm…"

"What would you suggest?"

Bill closed his eyes. "Let me have a bit of time. You're welcome to eat anything in the fridge, except for the watmel berries. Lilia is planning a fruit salad for tomorrow's dinner." Ben slowly got to his feet and hobbled over to the fridge. Bill began to hum softly.

As Ben took out a pecha berry, Bill's humming stopped. The house was silent for a moment, but as Ben took a bite of the pecha berry, Bill started humming again.

"What is that song?" Ben asked, entering the living room. "It sounds familiar."

Bill opened one eye and looked at Ben. "It's one of my favorite songs. 'Go Home, My Angel,' composed by Amairani. She wrote it when she lost her brother."

Ben tilted his head. "Amairani had a brother?"

Bill nodded slowly. "She did. Amairani wrote the song to remember what her brother told her before he died. He told her to always remember where home was."

"Home…" Ben murmured. "Where is home?"

Bill didn't answer. He took a sip of his milk, watching as Ben struggled. "Where is home…"

"I can't answer that for you, Ben," Bill said quietly. "Home is where you want to be. Home is where you can do something for your family, whoever they may be."

Ben closed his eyes and sighed, a smile spreading across his face.

* * *

Celdrima was sitting in front of the communal fire. The tears had dried on her face, and her horns were sagging. Selima was sitting next to her, not saying anything.

"Mom?"

Tears began coursing down Celdrima's face again. "And now the memory haunts me!" she wailed. She buried her face in her hands. Selima looked to where the voice had come from. Her eyes widened.

"You… came back?" she asked.

Ben smiled. Celdrima, hearing Selima's words, turned.

"Benhalmin!" she shouted, jumping up and running to him. She embraced him and he winced.

"Please… not so rough, Mom."

"Oh, sorry…" Celdrima pulled away. "I'm just so happy to see you, son."

"Ben," Ben said. Celdrima frowned. "My name is Ben, Mom."

She laughed. "You have grown up, haven't you?"

"I would hope so," Ben replied. "It's been a long time."

As Celdrima hugged Ben again, the sun began to rise. The beams of light splayed across the gray sky, golds and yellows brightening the world. "Why did you come back, Ben?"

"For you, Mom. For you, and for two other reasons."

Selima couldn't stop her eyes from watering. Ben pulled away from his mother and looked at Selima. She tried to hide her reddening cheeks.

Ben patted his mother on the shoulder and made his way to stand in front of Selima. "It's good to meet you, miss. My name is Ben."

Selima blushed violently. "That is a nice name, Ben. My name is Selima."

"Well, miss Selima, would you consider sitting by the fire with me?" Ben asked, bowing slightly. Selima giggled.

"I guess so…" She allowed Ben to take her hand and lead her to a seat in front of the fire. He sat next to her.

Celdrima sat away from the two, watching her son. She didn't mind his abrupt shift in focus. Selima was a beautiful Mawile, after all. But… why else had he come back?

"Selima?"

"Yes?"

"You're a nice Pokemon. I want you to know that." Ben nodded, smiling. "You're very nice."

Selima gazed at Ben. She sniffed. "You don't know me well enough."

Ben met Selima's gaze. "Perhaps not. But I'm willing to take that chance."

"No…" Selima stood and turned away. "You don't understand, Ben. I'm… I'm not nice. I get upset very easily. I snap. When I'm with my mother, everything is okay, but when I'm among others I get very tense and frayed." She shook her head. "I have lost so many that could have been friends… There was an Ampharos in the City. He was nice to me, and all I did was boss him around. That's what happens to me." Selima sniffed again. "I wanted to be his friend, but I couldn't…"

Ben reached out and took Selima's left hand. She started, looked down, and turned slightly to look at Ben with wide eyes.

"I _know _you're nice," Ben insisted. "Call it a Romianda's intuition, but I just know."

"You just barely met me!" Selima exclaimed. She pulled her hand away from his hand. "What are you trying to do? You can't do this to someone you've just met!" Her voice was rising in pitch. "You say I'm nice, and you hold my hand, but you're just intent on making me fall in love with you! You want to have me hold on to your arm and giggle whenever you make some inane comment! Well, congratulations!" Selima shouted. "You got me to love you! But I won't be your arm-girl!" She spun and stalked away, pushing aside the flap of a small tent.

Ben shifted on his seat. Celdrima got up and went over to him. "Mom… she has it all wrong," he said quietly. "And I still think she's nice…"

"Ben, would you come with me?" Celdrima asked. She held out a hand and Ben took it.

"Before we go… Let me do something."

* * *

Ben whistled. In the middle of the Romia River, a tree had fallen. This was no ordinary tree, though. Nearly twenty feet in diameter, it completely blocked the flow of the river. On one side, the riverbed was very dry. On the other side, the water sloshed and burbled.

"Is this why you came, dear?" Celdrima asked.

Ben nodded slowly. "I wanted to know why the river had stopped. But this was far down on the list of reasons."

Celdrima smiled. "Here is the answer, Ben. The Romianda have tried to move it, but we have been unsuccessful."

Frowning, Ben walked up to the tree. He ran his left hand over the trunk. "Very sturdy. Can it even be moved?" Ben climbed down into the dry riverbed and grabbed a handful of the soil.

"Be careful, Ben," Celdrima called. Ben waved in acknowledgment. He knocked on the tree and, on impulse, turned to fit his horns around the trunk. They fit, but just barely.

He forced his horns into the tree trunk until the teeth were buried in the wood. Celdrima bit her lip.

"Home… I want to save both of my homes," Ben muttered. With a quick motion, he swung his head, pulling his horns with him. They strained momentarily and then, with a loud shriek, yanked the tree trunk out of the riverbed and over the back. The tree pulled Ben with it, saving him from the suddenly freed water. He crashed to the ground, hitting his head on a rock.

Celdrima rushed over to him. She saw his chest moving and let out a breath she didn't know she had been holding. Behind her, the water flowed down the river, heading for the City.

* * *

"Make sure that his head is kept level! We do not want more damage!" Amairani shouted.

Selima heard the tramping of feet and paws from inside of her tent. She heard Amairani giving more directions. Finally, she couldn't stand the suspense any longer.

Flinging the flap of her tent open, Selima stepped out and onto something that crinkled. She paused and looked down. There was a piece of paper on the ground. Bending down, she saw that it was addressed to her.

_Miss Selima,_

_I know that you are upset. If I were in your position, I would be upset as well. But I wanted you to know that I did not want you for an arm-girl._

_I saw you in the grocery store yesterday. You captured my mind. One of my friends, the Ampharos you mentioned, told me you were a brat. But I did not believe him. I still do not believe him._

_Beneath your tense exterior, I know you have a gentle heart. You are a wonderful Pokemon. And, despite what you may think, you are incredibly nice._

_If you do not wish to see me again, I will respect your wishes. But I wanted you to know that I love you. _

_Ben_

Selima pursed her lips as fresh tears welled in her eyes. Still holding the paper, she dashed off toward the tent where Ben was resting.

A Poliwhirl stopped her. "Hold up there, Selima," he said. "Benhalmin's sleeping off a nasty blow to the head."

"Tohon, I need to see him!"

Tohon held up a hand. "How badly?"

"Love is how badly!" Selima exclaimed.

"I'll see if he is awake." Tohon slipped into the tent. He came out a moment later. "Go on in. Your mother is tending to his head. Try to be quiet."

Selima nodded in thanks and went into the tent. It was shadowy, but there was enough light penetrating the fabric of the tent that she could tell where she was going. Kaliya was patting Ben's head with a damp rag. Ben was breathing in and out, moaning on each intake of breath.

"Mother?"

Kaliya looked up and gave a quick, barely noticeable smile. "Ben," she whispered. "Selima's here."

"Selima?" Ben murmured. Selima dropped down next to Ben.

"Ben… I'm sorry," Selima said quietly. "My temper got the better of me. But… I'm not nice."

Ben chuckled softly. "You are, Selima. You are."

Selima shook her head, eyes closed. "No. I'm not…" she muttered, trailing off. "…Am I?"

Reaching out, Ben took Selima's left hand. "You are," he breathed. "You are nice, and I may be delirious, but I love you."

Selima sniffed and, before she could stop herself, she leaned over and kissed Ben.

* * *

Two days after Ben's midnight visit, Bill was sitting at the bar of the _Café Na Rigara._ Davy and Estelle were wiping down the counter.

"Did you hear that the Romia is running again?" Estelle asked. She scrubbed at a spot on the counter. "John's down there right now, frolicking in the water." She laughed. "He may be fiery, but he loves water."

"I think we all do, especially when it's been bone-dry for a week," Bill replied. "By the way, have either of you seen Ben? Michael's been asking about him."

Davy shook his head. "I haven't seen him since three days ago."

"I can't remember the last time I saw him," Estelle admitted.

The door to the _Café Na Rigara_ opened. Bill glanced over his shoulder out of habit, then did a double-take. "Ben?!"

Ben was walking hand-in-hand with Selima. Both were smiling broadly, sneaking love-filled glances at each other. Bill chuckled. He knew what that was like.

"Hello, Bill! Hi, Davy and Estelle!" Ben said brightly. He squeezed Selima's hand.

"Is this the lucky lady Michael told me about?" Bill asked, eyes twinkling.

"Yes! This is Selima. Selima, these are some of my friends. Bill, Estelle, and Davy." Ben gestured to each in turn.

Selima swallowed. "It's nice to meet you all," she said quietly, waving slightly. Davy waved back.

"It's great to meet you, Selima! Please, have a seat," Estelle exclaimed. "Do you like cheri au lait?"

"I… don't know what that is," Selima responded.

"Well, you're in for a treat," Bill said. Ben helped Selima up onto a bar stool, then hoisted himself up onto one. "Estelle makes the best cheri au lait in the City."

Estelle rolled her eyes. "He's exaggerating," she told Selima. "My husband makes the best cheri au lait."

Bill turned to Ben. Selima was chatting amiably with Estelle. "Estelle made Selima feel right at home," Bill remarked. "By the way, what was your choice?"

Ben smiled. "Home, Bill, is where you want to be. I want to be with Selima and my mother."

"So…"

"So I have two homes. Amairani welcomed me into the Romianda. So I don't have to choose." Ben nodded slowly. "I can keep both, Bill. It's wonderful."

Bill grinned and hit Ben lightly in the arm. As the conversation continued, Ben heard Celdrima's voice float through his head.

_As light fades to gray,  
And day turns to night,  
The sweet colors glisten  
On the warm, flowing wind._

_The wind moves between  
The ev'ning and the mind.  
Love blossoms in  
The cool, shining moon._

_O, the moon of fathers past,  
Shines bright on the e'er-changing fields.  
Alda mino verku alda,  
Dear moon, you brought my loved one back,  
And he has found his home. _


End file.
